This invention relates to a door safety device. It relates particularly to a device for fitting at the hinge side of a door and door frame in order to reduce the risk of injury to a child""s fingers if they should attempt to enter this space.
When a door is in the open position, the hinge side of the opening between the door side and the door frame offers a gap into which a young child""s hand or fingers can very easily be inserted. If the door should then be closed, possibly by another child or by pressure from a draught of wind, there is a serious risk that the hand or fingers will become hurt or badly damaged. In time, of course, any child will learn that the gap at the edge of a door that is being closed is a dangerous area in the home and any fingers should be kept well away from this zone. However, the younger child will not be aware of this risk and may suffer a crushed finger.
The present invention was devised to provide a shield that would reduce the risk of injury to a child""s hand.
According to the invention, there is provided a door safety device comprising a cover for the gap at the hinge side of a door and door frame combination, the cover comprising a strip of a rigid material which is flexible about its major axis, the strip having attachment means at its long edges so that one edge may be secured to the door and the other edge to the door frame of the combination, the attachment means being such that one edge is firmly fixed to one of the door/door frame combination whilst the second edge is fixed in a manner that allows a vertical movement of that edge with respect to the other one of the door/door frame combination, and the cover being formed with rigid portions and longitudinally-directed fold areas, so that when the door is opened the vertical door edge can form a support for one rigid portion of the device whereby the device will be maintained in a generally convex attitude throughout the operation of opening and closing of the door.
The cover may be formed of four rigid portions connected by three fold areas. The cover may be made of a fibrous or fluted board material.
The attachment means at one side of the strip may include the strip edge being formed in a T-shape and this edge being positioned in a C-shaped housing which will hold the T-shape yet allow the necessary vertical movement.